An Unexpected Nighttime Encounter
by HopeThisWorksOut
Summary: Reyna is locked out of her house one night after being scared by a nightmare. Leo is returning to his house late after working on plans for The Argo and spots a light at her house. The two have their first close moment, and Reyna is surprised by her feelings for Leo. Oneshot, Leo x Reyna pairing, but not too obvious yet, because this is just a first encounter!


Reyna

Reyna was leaned against the wall of her dormitory, and gave a long sigh. It was very stupid of her to have let the door swing shut behind her and lock her out, incredibly stupid of her to think that coming outside for a breath of fresh air in the middle of the night was a good idea, and unforgivably stupid that she allowed herself to still be spooked by the nightmares. The one's she's had since she was 7 – around the time she found out she was a demigod. She sighed again, and sat down by the door, pulling her legs to her chest for warmth. Resting her head on her knees, she couldn't help but be reminded of the time she had sat like this outside her house for hours, waiting for her mother to finish an important phone call to open the door for her after school. That had been a long time ago. After the nightmares though. Reyna didn't realise she was crying until the tears were halfway down her cheeks. 'Stop Reyna. Get a hold of yourself.' She told herself firmly, but gave up moments later. It wasn't as if anyone was going to see her anyway. So sitting on her own doorstep, hair rumpled and tangled around her face, Reyna buried her head into her knees and let herself cry.

Leo

It was a chilly night out, and Leo regretted not bringing the automatic coat heater with him. It would've been the perfect gadget for nights like these. Well, technically he hadn't invented it yet, but someday he would, and that's what he would put on the box to advertise it. He could see it now – the jingle, the toasty jacket, the fawning girls fighting over him. He laughed aloud into the cold night. 'It's alright ladies, there's enough of the Valdez to go around' he'd say. Slick, he complimented himself, and laughed again.

Suddenly, he saw a light in the corner of his eye. It was Reyna's dormitory. No doubt she was up reviewing painful ways to make him pay for ruining her city. Leo cringed at the memory of being completely controlled by the Eidolons, shooting blindly at the home of his allies and waging war against the Romans. Not one of his most pleasant memories. The smile slipped completely off his face when he remembered Reyna's look of rage and utter hatred as the Argo escaped. He had wanted to be on her good books, that one. Beautiful, powerful, distant. Reyna was his type. Of course, it would have been easier to go for one of the giggling blondes that used to laugh at all his jokes – even the ones that weren't funny – but while he was flattered by their attentions, he couldn't help but be attracted to the silent, brooding types that would be sure to kick his ass. Like Reyna.

While thinking this, Leo found out he had been subconsciously walking towards her dorm. It would be mighty awkward if she happened to look out of her window – she might think he was a creepy stalker - and so he decided to stalk quickly past the brightly lit house…just to walk straight into a huddle figure by the doorway.

He gave a shout and stumbled back, knocking over several flowerpots and falling flat onto his back. His instincts took over, and he leapt up, taking the first thing his toolbag spit at him (a CPU card – thanks a lot you useless piece of junk) and waving it threateningly at the figure in the shadows.

'I'm not afraid of you! Run while you can, vile beast, or suffer the wrath of the Leo, son of Hephaestus – a title much scarier and powerful than it sounds!

Reyna

She had been lost in her thoughts when a striding figure ran right into her and knocked the breath out of her. She was on her feet in a moment, and assumed the defensive taekwondo stance she had been taught by her first instructor. Breathing shallowly she was about to attack when she heard the other figure shout in a loud voice '…Leo, son of Hephaestus – a title much scarier and powerful than it sounds!'

'LEO VALDEZ?' she cried before dropping her taekwondo position.

He was the last person she was expecting. And the last person she wanted to see her in this state, to be honest. She rubbed her eyes quickly and smoothed down her hair as she glared definantly at the approaching figure.

'Reyna? W…What are you doing here?'

He seemed equally as agape as she was. And for some reason, he was holding a CPU card in front of him. Seeing her questinoinng gaze, he quickly shoved it back into the toolbag at his hip.

'It was the first thing the toolbag gave me okay? Out of all the hammers and spanners and pointy things it has in there it decided it would be interesting to see me defend myself with a computer chip.' Leo explained slightly defensively.

Reyna was still too much in shock to smile.

'What are YOU doing here?' she demanded, angry that he had seen her at her weakest. She looked away as she watched him take in her red eyes and crumpled pyjamas.

'I was so caught up in working on plans to expand the weaponary room of the Argo that I lost track of time, and well… I was thinking while walking back to the dorm, and saw your light was on. Not that I'm a creepy stalker who wanted to look into your windows… I mean I just started walking towards your dorm because it was so bright… well it wasn't that bright really cus you only had one lamp on but… not that I would know you only had one lamp on…' Leo trailed off as he saw Reyna's gaze harden. He was terrible in situations like this. Especially against a smoldering female (in both senses – angry and hot – just he way he liked them).

Reyna

Reyna sighed and shook her head. It was too much to take in all at once. 'I came outside for a breath of fresh air and got locked out. Could you, um, let me back in?'

Leo smiled slowly. 'The praetor is asking me to break into her house?' he teased. He rummaged around in his belt until he came up with a small silver key. 'It's what people used to call a 'skeleton key'. It supposedly fits all locks.' He explained as he jiggled it around her keyhole. After a few moments, he sighed and took out a piece of wire. 'Your lock is more complicated that I thought. For a girl's I mean. Uh not that I have anything against girls and locks.' He swallowed as her gaze hardened. 'What I meant to say is that this will take some time. So um, you might want to make yourself comfortable.'

To his surprise, she did as he suggested, and flopped down beside him. She brushed the hair out of her face, and laughed shakily. 'I didn't think this would ever have happen. To be locked out of my house in the middle of the night and have you see me in my pyjamas. I look like such a mess. This is so embarrassing.' Then as if remembering who she was and who she was talking to, she cleared her throat. 'Um, so how are the plans for your uh… weaponary room going?'

'Pretty awesomely! I was planning to perfect the automatic machine guns and make them smaller so we could start stocking up on celestial bronze shields – we're running dangerously low on them at the moment, and they're so cool looking.'

There was a short silence, and he suddenly said in a low voice 'I'm just going to get straight to it, cus I think we're both avoiding the obvious.' She inhaled slightly as she imagined what he was next going to say. Was he going to say she was messed up? That he didn't expect to see the all-powerful praetor huddled by her door? That she could just have opened the windows if she had wanted some fresh air? 'I know it was dumb for me to get locked out. I… was spooked by a bad dream.' She admitted. 'I was going to say I'm really sorry for destroying your camp, but that too.' Leo turned to her and smiled, his teeth gleaming white in the dim. Reyna felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks suddenly flush.

What? Leo Valdez? She was attracted to LEO VALDEZ? She nearly laughed aloud at the thought. No way. She'd be the laughing stock of the camp! Not that she had anything against Leo really, but come on. She was Reyna and he was Leo. They were as different as the summer and winter. But then again, opposites attract, piped a little voice in her head. Shut up, she told it.

'…but really, nightmares are nothing to sniff at. All demigods have them – I would know. I used to wake up screaming, thinking I couldn't stop making fire, and I was burning everyone around me – my aunt, the demigods, my mum…'he sounded choked for a second. Then he continued in a normal voice 'My least favourite nightmare is still showing up to school naked though.'

Reyna couldn't help but laugh at it. She appreciated his trying to make her feel better. It was working too.

'I dream about Gaea and her giants. A giant horde of them attacked the camp last year and… it was bad. I can still see her huge muddy form, with smiling at me with those scary half-open eyes…talking to me. Telling everyone my secrets…'she shivered involuntarily and bit down on her lip. She had never told anyone about this dream. But tonight in general was too surreal for her to stick to her normal rules. 'That's so creepy' he agreed.

Suddenly, the lock undid with a loud click. Leo excitedly jumped up, and pushed the door open, extending his arm without thinking to help Reyna up. He didn't know who looked more surprised when Reyna actually accepted his help and got up a little clumsily.

'Thank you so much. Zeus knows how long I would have had to sit out there if it weren't for you. Want to come in for a hot chocolate?' she asked. Reyna… she warned herself. You should have just thanked him and told him to go away. Boundaries. But it was too late. Leo bounded in with a smile, tracking his sooty footprints all over her clean floorboards.

'Oops.'

Again, his childlike expression made her smile, and the nervousness faded away from her. She needed to lighten up. She glided smoothly into the kitchen and deftly made two steaming cups of hot chocolate while tying her hair into its usual braid. She was feeling more in control now, and less like the unsure, giggling, vulnerable Reyna moments ago.

She handed him a mug, and he grinned. 'Thanks.' Her heart sqeezed tightly again, and even tighter when his fingers brushed against hers. Get a grip Reyna! She shouted mentally. So much for being in control.

She cleared her throat. 'Vald…Leo. I know it was the Eidolon that destroyed Camp Jupiter and not you. We forgive you. Still, you caused a lot of damage, and lots of people were literally homeless for a while. We had to set up a temporary camping ground, and the Parthenon still needs fixing. Could you help us with repairs?' She asked solemnly. 'Not because we hold you responsible, but because of your skills.' She added quickly, with a small smile, to make sure he didn't think she was trying to offend him.

Luckily, he didn't seem offended at all. He nodded enthusiastically. 'I've wanted to help ages ago. I just thought it was too awkward to offer, seeing as I was… yeah. So I've been getting Percy and the others to subtly give ideas on how to fix the buildings. The motorised stable doors? That was me. The rotating rings under the arena floor? That was me! The voice-controlled mustard squirter that seasons 12.5 hotdogs in a minute? Um... that was me too. I've had it all planned out – there are designs and everything back at the workroom. I've been working on a cement blaster and brick layer to make the building process much faster. They should work too, because I've been trying them out on my garden walls, and now it looks like I've been besieged…'

As she listened to his flow of slow chatter, Reyna relaxed. His non-stop stream of words and low voice were strangely soothing, and little by little she felt her eyes drooping, and the room getting softer and blurrier. The last thing she remembered was Leo gesturing animatedly with his hands and nodding at her before she fell asleep.

Reyna slowly stretched and got off the sofa. The bright morning light was streaming through the curtains, and she panicked slightly about being late for her duties before remembering it was Sunday. Her only day off. She looked around in surprise. She was lying down on the sofa, with blankets around her and a downy pillow under her head. But she had remembered falling asleep on the armchair _next_ to the sofa! Leo, she thought with a start, and blushed when she realised she had fallen asleep during their conversation. How rude. Her mouth fell open and she blushed harder when she realised that he had carried her onto the sofa and taken care of her before leaving.

She snatched up the note on the coffee table.

'Reyna,

Thanks for the chocolate. Don't worry about falling asleep – it happens all the time. Man, people should get more sleep around here! Come by the workroom tomorrow to look at the designs for the city if you want.

Leo

PS: I like kangaroos too.'

Confusedly she looked around, and then down at her own oversized shirt. 'I HEART KANGAROOS!' it exclaimed loudly above a cartoon kangaroo with a giant goofy smile. She gave a little shriek and buried her head in her covers again, moaning softly. If only she could have seen the blush and equally goofy smile on her own face.


End file.
